Bruins rest stars, fall to Brodeur, Devils

As fellow goalie Cory Schneider, background, looks on, New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur warms up in the goal before an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Newark, N.J., Sunday, April 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur waves to the crowd after an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Newark, N.J., Sunday, April 13, 2014. The Devils won 3-2. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur waves to the crowd after an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Newark, N.J., Sunday, April 13, 2014. The Devils won 3-2. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

New Jersey Devils teammates watch as goalie Martin Brodeur skates for the crowd after an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Newark, N.J., Sunday, April 13, 2014. The Devils won 3-2. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Boston Bruins' Loui Eriksson, of Sweden, (21) shoots for a goal past New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur (30) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Newark, N.J., Sunday, April 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

NEWARK, N.J. – Standing on the podium after what might have been the final game of his record-setting, 20-year career with the New Jersey Devils, Martin Brodeur’s eyes welled with tears when he was asked to explain his emotions.

Just 15 minutes earlier, after a season-ending 3-2 victory over a revamped Boston lineup yesterday, the soon-to be 42-year goalie stood at center ice and gave a stick salute to the crowd as his teammates stood in front of the bench and tapped their sticks to honor him.

“It was a little emotional,” said Brodeur, the NHL’s career leader in wins (688) and shutouts (124). “I have spent my life here. All the fans out there know me. They think they know me by my name, and I feel they know me.

“They have been calling my name for 20 years. Every time they stop me and talk to me, they are great. It’s a relationship that an athlete has with people. It was definitely fun, but it was emotional.”

Brodeur is in the final year of his contract and is likely to test the free agent market now that he has become the backup to Cory Schneider. He clearly indicated he wants more playing time after going 19-14-6 in 39 games.

It is clear that the 28-year-old Schneider is the Devils’ goalie of the future.

“It’s not out of the question that the Devils will be in the running for me to come back,” Brodeur said. “I haven’t talked to Lou (Lamoriello) about what he wants to do with backing up ‘Schneids,’ ” Brodeur said. “Again, if I am mentally ready to do that job, I am going to look for the Devils a little bit.

“Right now I’m keeping everything open. We’ll see what he feels is the best for the organization. It’s not about me anymore. I’m free. He’s not stuck with me anymore.”

Brodeur made 16 saves against the Bruins, who rested many of their stars in preparation for the playoffs. Loui Eriksson and Brad Marchand scored for Boston.

Travis Zajac, who put the Devils ahead 2-1 early in the third period, said the Devils’ goal was to send Brodeur out a winner.

“It just seemed like the right ending for everything he has done for this organization,” Zajac said after the Devils missed the playoffs for the second straight season after making the finals in 2012. “Whatever happens, it just seemed right to get him that win.”

Defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored twice for New Jersey and Jaromir Jagr earned two assists, giving him 1,050 and moving him past Gordie Howe for eighth on the NHL career list.

“He did something that no one is ever going to do again,” Jagr said of Brodeur. “I would say it’s comparable to Wayne Gretzky’s numbers.”

“We had a real tough opponent, and for the most part I thought we handled it okay,” Bruins Coach Claude Julien said. “For us it was just about playing a solid game.”

While Brodeur didn’t have a lot of work against the Boston lineup that included four players called up from the club’s Providence AHL affiliate, this was a love fest for the player who led the Devils to three Stanley Cup titles and five appearances in the championship round.

He was cheered from the opening introductions, and every save brought chants of “Marty! Marty!” Toward the end, the crowd just chanted his name.

Zajac broke a 1-all tie at 3:52 of the final period. He got inside position on Matt Bartkowski in front of goalie Chad Johnson and redirected a pass from Jagr into the net.

Zidlicky stretched the lead to two with a power-play goal that Jagr also helped set up.

Boston managed to take some of the enjoyment out of the closing seconds when Marchand scored a power-play goal to make it a one-goal game.

“If this is his last game, it is (cool) to have scored,” Marchand said. “I should have (grabbed) the puck.”

The Devils outshot the undermanned Bruins, 24-9, in the first two periods, but the score was tied 1-1.

Zidlicky gave New Jersey the lead 7:12 into the game. The defenseman joined a rush late and took a pass from Zajac entering the Bruins zone.

He skated down the right side, went around the net and beat Johnson with a wraparound inside the post for his 11th goal.

Boston had only five shots in the period but the last one tied it on a power play. Marchand sent a pass from the right circle to Carl Soderberg in the opposite circle. He quickly found Eriksson with a pass at the right corner of the net for a slam dunk.